Betrayal
by Laura Ann Yates
Summary: "Sure, until she steals my boyfriend and kills me in my sleep." What if, after being rejected by Castle, Natalie Rhodes seeks out Beckett's boyfriend, Josh, in order to get into the role of Nikki Heat.


"_Sure, until she steals my boyfriend and kills me in my sleep." – KB_

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**This quote from 3x11 inspired me while I was watching it with my Dad a few weeks ago, enjoy.**

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Despite relishing the thought of the actress following her for a case, Kate Beckett was more than relieved that Natalie Rhodes was heading back to Los Angeles to start filming Heat Wave. After having three years of mainly male company, and Castle being more interested in getting into her pants than actual police procedure, she found Natalie's professional attitude and genuine interest rather refreshing.

She drops her keys and phone into the bowl beside her front door and sighed, glad for the day to be over. With only thoughts of a bubble bath, a glass of red wine, and a good book on her mind, Beckett made her way through her apartment, slipping her boots and coat off on the way. She froze in her step as moans and groans reached her ears. Drawing her gun, she creeps closer to her bedroom and bursts through the door, once more freezing as she takes in the sight in front of her.

"J-Josh?! Natalie!?" She screams, before slamming the door shut, and re-tracing her steps. She puts on her coat and boots, picks up her phone and keys, and is back out of the door, before either of the bodies in the bedroom could untangle their limbs. Reaching the parking garage, she climbs into her cruiser and heads across town to see the one person, she knows she can rely on; Castle.

Upon reaching the writers apartment block, she parks her car in his parking garage and makes her way up to his loft. She reaches her fist out to knock on his door, hesitating before her knuckles make contact with the wood. _What if he's not in? What if he's with Gina? I should just go._ As the last thought enters her mind, she turns to leave, deciding instead to seek comfort from a certain medical examiner.

"Beckett?" As her name reaches her ears, she turns on her heel and comes face to face with Alexis. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Alexis. Hi." She stutters, unsure of what she should do. "I was just… Is your dad in?"

"Yeah, he's in his office trying to write, go on through" Alexis gestures through the loft in the direction of the writer's lair. "I was just heading out to meet Ashley, and god only knows where Gram is so I'm sure he'll be glad for the company."

"Thank you, have fun." She smiles at the red-head, before heading into the loft.

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Castle startles awake as a knock vibrates through his loft. "I thought you'd left, Pumpkin?" He asks, confusion spreading across his face as his favourite detective enters instead. "Beckett?"

"Hi Castle." She says, coming to sit in the arm chair beside his desk.

"What are you doing here?"

"I- Josh cheated on me." She watches his features morph from confusion to shock, the thought that the doctor could ever cheat on her never crossing his mind.

"Oh, Kate." He sighs, moving across to her as tears begin to fall down her face. He grabs her hands, and pulls her to her feet, sitting down in her vacated spot and pulling her down on to his lap. She snuggles into the writer's body, drawing comfort from his large frame and warm presence. "He's not worth your tears." He tells her, his thumbs grazing across her cheeks to rid them of her tears, glad that she chose him to comfort her and not Lanie, one of the guys, or even a bottle of alcohol.

"I never thought he could do this to me."

"What are you going to do?" He asks, already aware of what her answer will be.

"I can't stay with him, not after he betrayed me like that. I mean, he told me he was in Africa until next week and I come home to find him getting intimate with Natalie Rhodes."

As the actress's name passes her lips, he freezes, not anticipating this turn of events. "Wait, he was in bed with Natalie Rhodes?"

She nods her head; yes "It probably wouldn't hurt so much if it wasn't her." She sighs, nuzzling into his neck slightly. "I just wish I could find, the one; you know?" She tells him through her sobs, burrowing further into his comforting embrace.

"I know, I know." He whispers to her, pulling her in tighter. "I wish I could find the one too."

"What about Gina?" Beckett pulls back slightly and looks into his eyes, his vulnerability clear to see.

"I thought we could make it work again, but all we do is argue about anything and everything and then argue some more about how much we argue." He tells her, attempting to pull her back in to rest her head on his chest. The detective, having other ideas, reaches her head up and connects their lips. Castle freezes, unmoving as he feels her lips on his. This is not what he expected to happen when he saw her enter his office earlier in the evening; he expected banter and jokes, her teasing him until he could no longer take it or trying to get bits of the next Nikki Heat novel out of him. He did not predict that they would be sat here with locked lips while he comforts her over the betrayal. Before she can think he's not interested, he pulls her body round so she is straddling him in the armchair. He brings his hands to her hips and slides them around to her waist, pulling her in closer.

As a lack of oxygen makes itself known, the writer and his muse pull apart, resting their foreheads together. "At least she hasn't killed you in your sleep."


End file.
